Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A NON-REUSABLE SYRINGE
SPECIFICATION
This invention paten~ refers to a syringe
offering a high degree of safety in that it possesses
5~ characteristics which ensure that it canno~ be used a
second time.
There have been numerous types of syringe re-
cently made available.
There is no particular difficulty in inventing
10. a syringe which cannot be reutilized after the first
application but the following factors require to be
taken into consideration:
- Simple construction allowing ease of operation
by the user.
15. - Low manufacturing cost, at least as low as
the cost of existing syringes and even less as is the case
with the syringe described in this patent.
- The syringe must be absolutely incapable of
being reused after the first use, this requirement being
20. primordial and being totally independent of the wishes
of the user.
- The operation of the syringe must not depend
on complicated co~ponents which not only increase the
cost but increase the possibility of over ding the very
25. objective of non-reutilization. The more sophisticated
the mechanism, the easier it is to thwart the intention
of the design. This implies a simple design incorporating
the necessary impediments to reutilization.
To achieve these four important factors, the
30. object is not just to avoid complicating the syringe or
not, but primarily to combine simplicity of design with
the above qualities.
2~2124~
The accompanying drawings will assist in
understanding the description o the non-resusable
syringe object of this invention patent.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a long-
5. itudinal cross-section and an external view in part
section of the cylinder and piston respectively.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross section
of the syringe before use.
Figures 4 and 5 are detail sections showing
10. the syringe during use and after use respectively.
Figure ~ is a section showing the working
of one of the safety devices in the syringe which is
the object of this patent.
Figure 7 is an enlarged detail of the syringe
lS. piston.
As is shown in the drawings the syringe, object
of this patent is characterized by the interior of the
cylindrical body -1- having a series of reliefs on the
diameter which constitute the safety characteristics
20. and comprise essentially an initial step -2- near the
entry mouth -3- of the syringe body, this step having
a cone or entry ramp -4- and a zone -5- which is gener-
ally straight and perpendicular to the interior surface
of the body -1-. This step is designed to prevent the
25. extraction of the piston assembly which, in this syringe
object of this present invention, is supplied fitted
within the body -1- and retained by means o~ a transverse
pin -~- attached to the body -1- by a tie component
-7- or some other means designed to prevent displacement
30. of the piston to the outlet position before its required
operation.
Another step -9- is provided near the outlet -8-
extremity of the syringe body, t~is also having a cone
-- 4 -
2 ~ 9
or ramp -10 and a straight zone -11-, ~ollowing
which there is a safety area -12- and a further
narrower section provided by increased wall thick-
ness -13- near the extremity with its cone or
5. entry ramp -14-.
Corresponding to the cross sectional var-
iations described above the piston comprises a
body or plunger stem -15- which has attached to its
internal extremity an expansible hood -16- as is
10. shown in the detail figure 7. This drawings shows
that the hood -16- is conical with a flat or slightly
conical rear face -17. The hood -16- is expansible
by virtue of its own elasticity acting as the piston
head adjusting itself to the interior surface of the
15. body -1- of the syringe. The hood is joined to the
stem -15- of the piston by means of a section -18-
having a smaller thlc~ness uniting it to the extremity
-19- which is a prolongation of the stem -15- of the
piston.. This smaller ~hiGknes~ section -18- which is
20. designed accordingly is obtained by forming a cavity
-20- in the front face -21- of the said hood -16-.
By means of the above described configuration
a situation is obtained in which once the plunger has
has been driven to the bottom, as shown in figure 5,
25. to expel the liquid, the piston cannot be extracted
for a second utilization of the syringe bein so prev-
ented by the obstacle presented by the step -9- against
the edge of the hood -17-. Should a persistent effort
be made to extract the piston the thin sectioned zone
30. -18- will break as is shown in figure 6, the syringe
being then unusable.
Some of the most important aspects of this
novel syringe designed for one only ~peration are sum-
~marized below.
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MANUFACTURE:
A most important feature of the novel
syringe is that it comprises only two mouldings. In
this type of product necessarily produced in very
considerable quantities a differnce ~n mould costs
of fractions of a eent will amount to vast sums in
total.
APPEARANCE:
The outward appearance of this syringe is
10. not dissimilar to existing syringes and this simularity
is considered by the inventor to be important so as not
deter the user who can readily accept minor variations
without varying his practices unduly.
SAFETY ZONES:
15. The fact that the plunger, before use, is with-
drawn a few millimetres is precisely the element that
provides the four qualities mentioned previously.The
user appreciative of its characteristic, in his own in-
terests will soon adjust himself to this operation prior
20. to its utilization.
For others not concerned about the multiple
use of a syringe, despite their reticence in this res-
pect, there is no alternative method of use with this
novel syringe with its ineludible safety feature.
25. THE PLUNGER
Its conicity allows it to adapt perfectly to
the interior of the cylinder. The controlled dimension
of the cone ensures a correct expulsion or withdrawal
of liquid while the adequate flexibility allows it to
30. negotiate the ramp sections smoothly though having suff-
icient resistance to remain blocked in its passage by
the salients provided.
The reduced dimensioned section of the cone,
made to precise fragility ensurés its breakage in the
2~2~2~9
event of an attempt to force i~ against the bloc~-
age positions in pulling or pushing.
TOTAL SECURITY:
Overiding the safety characteristics of
5. this novel syringe is impossible, any attempt so
to do making it unusable. The most delicate com-
ponent is the plunger, as well as being the most
important and hence it is provided with four safe-
ty stages.
FIRST STAGE: As in other syringes, this
one is supplied with the piston already housed in
the cylinder. At one centimetre from the base of
the cylinder internally there is a salient of such
a form that in the course of assembly the piston
15. may enter only once in the cylinder but cannot there
after be extracted without breaking~
Nevertheless if by some effort the piston
succeeds in being withdrawn and the cone is reduced
on its circumference, forming the piston head, so that
20. it is no longer stopped by the salients at the extrem--
ity of the cylinder, the head will no longer function
having been designed precisely to suit the cylinder
dimension for extracting or injecting liquid.
SECOND STAGE Should there be an attempt to
25. withdraw the piston and the head from the safety zone
the cone will disconnect from the stem, and the broken
plunger will be completely unusable.
THIRD STAGE: Should the piston be pushed, in-
stead of being drawn, by exerting pressure through the
30. liquid outlet orifice, with a view to recuperating it
intact, breakage will occur immediately as in the previ-
ous cases.
FOURTH STAGE: This last and important stage is
explained in the paragraph entitled: Reutilization
35. impossible: below.
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TH~ RAMPS AND_SALIENTS.
The design both of the ramps -4- and -10-
as well as the stop or entry ramp -14- is such
that the piston movement is smooth and is able to
5. pass without hesitation, the salients provided for
its blockage.
- The required progressive light pressure
applied to `the piston offers no difficulty in the
operation of painless and correct injection.
10. THE SAFETY PIN: This pin or key on the outside of
the cylinder fulfils two functions:
FIRST: Prevents the plunger becoming block-
ed and hence useless between the time of manufacture
and its required use.
15. SECOND: It is advisable not to remove this
pin when extracting blood for obvious reasons as with
any other syringe.
REUTILIZATION IM OSSIBLE:
A user trying to use this syringe a second
20. time will meet with major obstacles rendering the
reutilization a~mos~ impossible.
Having extracted the substance to be inject-
ed, the air contained in the safety zone remains and
he will try to inject solely the substance assuming
25. that the piston having reached the end of ~he travel
he would have used this syringe like any other on the
market.
This category of user will immediately real-
ize that not having purged his syringe, and by the
30. inclination he has to give it, particularly for intra-
venous injections, not only is he injecting air that
was~ot extracted but also that-~ke safety zone will
automatically fill with the substance contained in the
syringe~
- 8 -
2~2~2~9
It is evident that in the incomprehen-
sible misjudgement of someone using this syringe
on a second occasion he will be incurring the risk
of injecting air in the vein and depreciate small
5. quantity of his precious and costly substance,
this being the only way that the syringe can be re-
used, but for htis type of user there is no way in
which this syringe can be used seYeral times, how-
ever much he may try.
10. FOURTH STAGE:
Taking into consideration the type of mat-
erials specifically approved for this type of app-
lication and considering both their characteristics
and the mode of application the inventor is satisfied
15. that the piston is incapable of performing functions
beyond those required for carrying out one injection
correctly.
The more one moves the plunger up and down
the less its efficiency, the cone closing in until it
20. is no longer capable of impelling or extracting liquid.
The material being very ductile it is possible
to re-form it so that it continues to function as a
piston but to achieve this it has to be withdrawn from
the cylinder~ which is impossible without it breaking.
25. However the hypothetical and cojectural pOS5-
ibility of reutilization carries with it risks which
would discourage such a temptation, hardly worthwhile
and with very limited res~lts.
As far as the normal professional user is
30. concerned, it is difficult to imagine that such a per-
son would disregard the dangers of injecting air into
the pacient or the inefficacity of injec~ing less than
the prescribed dosage.
_ 9 _
2~21~
ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC of this novel syringe is
_
that it can be manufactured in all t~e sizes and
types required by the various uses for which it
may be de s tined.
5. BRIEFLY:
Given the basic qualities which charact~
erize this invention it is easy to understand that-
the user will accustom himself to the 0,50 cm.
blockage space, which could however could well be
10. of another dimension; there being hence no spec-
ific explanation for the use of this syringe, its
functioning being no different to other existing
types.
The patent offers consequently a novel
15. syringe with full safety characteristics ensuring
its non utilization, in the opinion of the author
contributing a major social benefit and a solution
to the problem of multi-usage of syringes with their
dangers to everyone.
20. All that is not altering or modifying the
essence of the syringe herein described is a variable
for the effects of this patent.
